Natsume Soseki has written Kokoro

Natsume Soseki has written Kokoro in such a way that the reader be acquainted with Boku and Sensei.   Through them, Soseki believed that a person’s actions should be coming from their true emotions and not by what others perceive of it.   A person should always do things in accordance to what he thinks is right and not by merely considering what the people dictates to him.   Sometimes people tend to live up to what the people tell them because their reputation is at stake.   Just like the planned graduation party of Boku[1].   Even though Boku did not want to have a party, his parents insisted because his father has a reputation to maintain in their community. Kokoro was also written in such a way that there is a special connection between Sensei and Boku in being able to see their imperfections by means of their shallowness.   Despite the two characters having different worldly views, they still found company in each other’s presence.   Boku is somewhat a person who wants to know who Sensei really is and Sensei was not the type of person who would reveal the real him. The style of the first part of Kokoro resembles that of a detective novel, and helps first to establish the reader’s curiosity towards Sensei. Narrator Boku provides no self-introduction and no adequate explanation for his interest in Sensei. Instead, he continuously feeds the reader small ‘clues’ – pieces to the puzzle of Sensei – to gain the reader’s curiosity. ‘â€Å"I cannot tell you why,† Sensei said to me, â€Å"but for a very good reason I wish to go to that grave alone. Even my wife, you see, has never come with me.† [End of passage]’[2] Sudden breaks in narrative are often used to leave these clues hanging, helping to compound the suspense felt by the reader. Additionally, despite having already experienced all the events he describes, Boku chooses to present them in the original chronological order and to narrate his original thoughts regarding each event.    â€Å"I wondered also why Sensei felt the way he did towards mankind.†[3] Revealing his thoughts and experiences in this manner assists Boku in linking with the reader, as it constructs between them a shared interest towards Sensei. Soseki seeks to direct this interest, as evident in the sentence: â€Å"Had I been curious in an impersonal and analytical way, the bond between us would surely not have lasted.†[4] This explanation of the nature of Boku’s curiosity can be interpreted as a suggestion to the reader; in order to complete the puzzle of Sensei, the reader needs to explore Sensei on a more personal level – not simply to analyse from a third person perspective, but rather to attempt to interpret Boku’s regard for Sensei by examining the similar attitudes and values that the two espouse. In the third part of Kokoro, Soseki switches to a new narrative frame, and we read Sensei’s letter through the eyes of Boku. Sensei directly addresses Boku in the letter – driving us as readers even closer to Boku, as we to try to interpret Sensei’s words through the mindset of Boku. Contrastingly, despite the title ‘My Parents and I’, part two of the novel serves to distance the reader from Boku’s family. As readers, our interest draws to a peak when Sensei agrees to tell Boku about his past. However, Sensei does not, and instead Boku’s father’s illness forces Boku to leave for home. This is frustrating for Boku, and for the reader, as is revealed in the passage: ‘†¦ there was much that I did not know about Sensei. He had not told me about his past, as he had promised. I could not be content until he was fully revealed to me.’[5]  Even as Boku’s father lies on his deathbed, Boku’s thoughts wander towards Sensei – physically represented by his moving back and forth between his bedroom and his father’s bedroom. In the process of affiliation with Sensei and Boku, the reader is exposed to the two characters’ disdain towards external appearances and opinions.  Both Sensei and Boku show their disregard for academia. Boku shows little regard for his diploma – he ‘pretends his diploma is a telescope’ surveys the world outside his window in it, and then throws it down on his desk. Similarly, Sensei does not know where he put his diploma.  In contrast, Boku’s parents hold Boku’s diploma in the highest regard. They scold Boku for not having taken better care of the diploma, and display it in the house. Boku’s narration shows that he also is not interested in the appearance of things.   He tends to observe, conclude and investigate on it.   Just like what happened when he saw Sensei at the beach centre.   He overlooked at Sensei’s appearance and focused his attention more on his behaviour thus speculating Sensei’s state of mind.  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He was always aloof and [†¦] seemed totally indifferent to his surroundings†.[6] Sensei bears a similar disregard towards appearances to others and describes it:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I used to consider it a disgrace to be found ignorant by other people. But now, I find that I am not ashamed of knowing less than others †¦Ã¢â‚¬ [7]  Sometimes people tend to pull themselves down because they think they know less about things.   But come to think of it, even though a person does not graduate high school or college, it means that he is more ignorant than those who have graduated.   People know different things and not all individuals can learn everything. With these, it forms a sharp contrast with Boku’s parents.   The parents of Boku have a high regard for the physicality of things while Sensei and Boku do not.   Boku’s parents seem to relate the physical aspect of a thing with its value just like the diploma.   For them, being able to have a diploma is something that should be cherished, treasured and be well cared of.   While for Sensei and Boku, a diploma is somewhat like a representation of the knowledge acquired while in the university.   A diploma is just a paper, nothing more, nothing less.   What is important are the learning obtained during the years studying in the university. In conclusion, Kokoro is a classic example of presenting two characters that may turn out to be indifferent from one another at first but later on saw their similarities.   Even though these two characters obviously come from different generations, they still were able to find a common ground.   These two started out as complete strangers and tended to avoid the fact that they needed each other’s company but in the end, it just proves that no matter the distance of two persons, they still are close when always remembered. Bibliography Soseki, Natsume. Kokoro (Part 2) Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1957. 21 Jan. 2000. http://www.eldritchpress.org/ns/k2.html [1] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Online Version, 2001. part 2                                                                                                                               [2] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p11 [3] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p22 [4] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p11 [5] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p65 [6] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p5 [7] Natsume, Soseki. Kokoro. Quiet Vision Publishing, 2001. p37

Dance in my life Essay

Ever since I was a little girl dance has always been an important part of my life. When I was five, my mom enrolled me in dancing classes after my sister, never realizing that dancing would ever lead to anything serious. For the first year, dancing was a side hobby to help keep me busy after school. Even though dancing was really fun to me, it did not become serious until my dance teacher looked me in my eyes and said â€Å"Lexus you have a big and lovable heart and I want you to dance with that heart of yours because I know that you have what it takes to become a great dancer.† That moment I knew that dance was going to always be a passion of mine. Over the years dance has helped me to grow in other ways. From it I have learned that hard work really does pay off. I learned that discipline and self-control are not only a vital part of dancing, but a necessary part of life. Also, I have recognized that motivation and perseverance are keys to success. What matters is not who wins in the beginning, but who is still on her feet in the end. Perhaps the most important lesson dance has taught is responsibility. Kaleidoscope has helped me in a lot of areas; even though I am small and tiny, I am very athletic, strong and I have a high self-esteem that anything is possible as long as you put your heart to it. I am encouraged now more than ever to try my best in class even if I look stupid because practice makes perfect. Becoming a Kaleidoscope officer hasn’t been a dream of mine till this year. Last year I thought I didn’t have what it took to become one, but this year, seeing how much you encouraged me to become a better dancer, it encouraged me to become a better person. When I tried out for Kaleidoscope, I wasn’t expecting to make it because I wasn’t in a dance class and I didn’t know Mrs. Karl personally at all. One day after school my friend told me to try out with her because she was scared to try out by herself. When I walked into the dance room I would have never thought I would be staying in that dance room. When I tried out, I took it as if god was giving me a chance to dance again and to fulfill a dream of mine. The term leader is someone who is in an advanced position to take the initiative in order to go forth and show the way but also to be able to make intelligent and creative decisions quickly and efficiently. Dance teams are all about unity. An exceptional dance group glides across the floor with all of its dancers moving as one. There are no individual standouts. No weak links. But there is one person whose job is to make the team as strong as  possible, on the floor and off. It’s one thing to be a good team player, but it’s another to be a good leader. Few will have the opportunity to feel the weight of the responsibilities and the happiness of knowing you are making a difference. Becoming a leader of any type of organization in my eyes is a huge job. It’s teaching respect by showing respect. It’s helping the other dancers, including myself, to strive and push themselves to be the best dancers I know we all can be. Having the title of being a Kaleidoscope Officer doesn’t mean being the boss of everyone, being in front of every dance, or just thinking that the Officer should come before everyone else. Officers are the inspiration of the team. They’re the person that everyone looks up to. Being a natural born leader is also a big role of a dance team. That means having self-confidence, good communication skills, courage, clear desire to make progress towards a goal, and a fair degree of understanding your fellow teammates. Being a leader requires focus on the big picture, doing what’s best for your team even on your worst days. If you’re negative, the team will take on the same attitude, even if everyone else has had a great day. As Officer of your dance team, I’ll definitely encounte r some sticky situations, like have to confront one of my teammates when they aren’t practicing full-out or not trying they’re hardest.

Chesapeake Energy Corporation

natural gas† {Chesapeake Annual Report, 1998, p. 1}. Recently, Chesapeake finished the transformation from an aggressive exploration company focused on developing short-reserve life, to a lower-risk, longer reserve life natural gas producer. Chesapeake†s operations are focused on â€Å"developmental drilling and producing property acquisitions.† These operations are â€Å"concentrated in three major areas: the Mid-continent, the onshore Gulf of Mexico and far northeastern British Columbia, Canada† [Chesapeake Annual Report, 1998, p. 1]. Aubrey K. McClendon is Chesapeake†s Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Director. Tom L. Ward is the President, Chief Operating Officer and Director. â€Å"McClendon met cofounder Tom Ward in the 1980†³s. Both were independent oil producers; they teamed up in 1983† [Morgenson, p. 2]. They each have more than 16 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. All other members of the management team have multiple years of experience in the industry. Chesapeake has concentrated on expanding its holdings in natural gas since the company†s incorporation in 1989. Chesapeake thinks that natural gas will be the fuel choice of the 21st century. The company has been highly competitive in both its exploration activities and efforts to increase its inventory of undeveloped leasehold land. This combination should enable Chesapeake to remain a competitive force in the energy producing industry. New technology in the oil and gas industry has made exploration and production more profitable. This is key for the survival of American businesses that compete with OPEC and other foreign cartels that have very low production costs. New technology, including three-dimensional imaging, which has greater resolution than the previously existing technology, will enable Chesapeake to detect reserves more accurately. Also, horizontal drilling has enabled companies to drain more than one reserve at a time. With profits continuing to be squeezed within this industry, new technology is necessary to help American businesses compete on a global scale. The oil and gas industry is truly a global market. The industry boosted gains in 1999 from increased production efficiency and a decrease in the current supply. U.S. firms, along with OPEC, have voluntarily reduced their total production, which has increased the price. OPEC currently supplies approximately 40% of the world oil production. If OPEC chooses to produce at a lower output, Chesapeake could easily increase production with its low production costs and huge reserves. Many other nations are emerging as competitors, such as the former Soviet Union and Latin American countries. The continuing increase in supply from other nations would potentially saturate the market, causing lower prices and lower profits. Demand is expected to rise only slightly more than two percent through the year 2005. The outlook for this industry is for increased competition domestically (from smaller companies) and internationally from emerging nations. The U.S. has superior technology, which will help keep profits up as supply increases and demand remains relatively constant. Natural gas makes up 72% of Chesapeake†s revenue. They usually sell the product to third parties and are not dependent on any one buyer. Less than 10% of their revenues are generated from two buyers. Governmental Regulations – Operational and Labor Relations The oil and gas industries are subject to considerable government regulation. These laws and regulations are primarily directed toward â€Å"the handling and disposal of drilling and production waste products and waste created by water and air pollution control devices† [Chesapeake 10-K, 1998, p. 10]. The oil and gas industry is accountable to numerous government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the State Department and the Department of Commerce. Virtually every aspect of operations is subject to complex and ever changing regulations. The oil and gas industry is tightly regulated in regard to labor relations by government department and agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Some states have their own state sponsored occupational safety plans, while the remainder must comply with federal OSHA regulations. Some of the topics covered under OSHA include personal protective equipment, hazardous communication (HAZCOM) and safety process training. Chesapeake had 453 employees as of March 15, 1999. None of these employees were represented by organized labor unions. The company considers its employee relations to be good [Chesapeake 10-K, 1998, p. 13]. Unocal (NYSE: UCL) employed 7,880 people as of December 31, 1998, of which 575 were represented by various U.S. labor unions [Unocal 10-K, 1998, p. 12]. Both companies are subject to new laws and regulations regarding the environment and labor. Chesapeake and Unocal cannot predict what adverse financial conditions the new laws and regulations will bring. However, short-term and long-term costs will increase as companies improve existing operations to become and remain compliant with government regulations. As a result, all companies in petro-chemical industries are experiencing tremendous difficulty operating profitable businesses. Several businesses have ceased operations as a result of increased regulation coupled with poor profit margins. Chesapeake is at a higher risk regarding this scenario since most of its operations are domestic. Unocal, although a U.S. based company, operations are concentrated primarily overseas, and therefore experience increased leniency regarding environmental and labor regulations. During the last two years, Chesapeake Corporation took a significant hit in terms of earnings, stock price and credit ratings. Positive 1996 earnings turned to a loss in 1997 and tumbled to a bigger loss of $10 per share in 1998. This earnings decline caused the stock price and credit rating to plummet. The company also faces a class action lawsuit stemming from alleged violations of federal securities laws. Top management and directors are accused of using insider information to sell personal holdings in the company at artificially inflated prices. Chesapeake had very disappointing years in 1997 and 1998 as evidenced by the fall in the stock price. The company underwent a substantial repositioning to increase natural gas holdings and reduce risk. As a result of this repositioning, Chesapeake incurred considerable debt and is dependent on the market prices of oil and natural gas to increase, and in effect, improve profit margins. Additionally, in 1997, Chesapeake changed their fiscal year end from June 30th to December 31st. As part of the repositioning, Chesapeake increased long term debt over $400 million to a total of $920 million, coupled with a short-term indebtedness of $25 million. This increased borrowing drastically reduced the company†s ability to obtain additional financing. Standard Poor†s and Moody†s placed Chesapeake on review with a negative outlook. The ability to meet obligations for this additional debt will depend on the production and financial performance of the company, market prices of oil and natural gas, and general economic conditions. Common Size Income Statement Analysis Chesapeake had an extremely large write-down of assets (impairment) as a result of reduced oil and gas prices during the past few years. This charge increased operating costs by over $1.2 billion during 1997-98 with 72% of that cost coming in 1998. The asset write-down, combined with expense increases in production, marketing and interest, were the main contributors of total operating costs to be over three times total revenue. The result was 1998 EBIT of ($920) million, and a non-existent ROE, since the company had a net loss approaching $1 billion. Unocal†s ROE was 5.9% in 1998 and 25.1% in 1997. The impairment cost reported by Chesapeake is questionable because of the very large amount that was charged. In perspective, Unocal with over $5 billion in property assets recorded an impairment charge of $97 million during 1998. If oil and gas prices rise in the near future, the impairment costs may be reversed giving the impression that the company is doing very well. Future investors of Chesapeake equities should consider this fact prior to making any investment decisions. Chesapeake had a $140 million reduction to both sides of the balance sheet. The repositioning of the firm focused on increasing inventory of natural gas reserves, â€Å"the fuel of choice for the 21st century† [1998 Annual Report, pg. 18]. Oil and gas properties nearly doubled from 1997 to 1998, totaling $2.2 billion. However, nearly $1.6 billion was depreciated, depleted and amortized. Additionally, cash decreased nearly $100 million, short-term investments were liquidated, and paid-in capital exceeded $1.1 billion over the past two years to provide additional cash for purchases of gas reserves. As a result, total property, plant and equipment was 85% of total assets in 1998 compared to 77% in 1997. In comparison, Unocal†s PPE was 66% and 64% of total assets respectively. Long-term debt increased over $400 million in 1998, totaling $920 million compared to $510 million in 1997. The $920 million was 113% in relation to total liabilities and owners equity of $813 million. In 1998, current liabilities were $131 million compared to current assets of $118 million. This resulted in a reduced current ratio of .90 from a 1997 ratio of 1.42. The Unocal current ratios during 1998 and 1997 were 1.01 and 1.29 respectively. Chesapeake has relied primarily on cash flow through financing activities during the past few years. Cash flow from operations was approximately $95 million in 1998 and $180 million in 1997, while cash flow from financing was $365 million and $278 million respectively. Sales accounted for $378 million in 1998 and appear to be rising approximately 35% annually from 1996 and 1997. However, an accurate comparison is unavailable because of the change in the company†s fiscal year end. Low oil and gas prices forced Chesapeake to borrow, sell equity, and liquidate short-term investments in order to continue operations and invest in oil and gas properties. The company is dependent on the rise of prices during 1999 to continue operations and provide shareholder wealth. The company has several restrictions from being able to borrow additional funds. Additionally, the price of stock has dropped from a high of $34 in 1996 to a low of $.63 in 1998. This has further reduced the company†s ability to generate cash. The current ratios for Chesapeake Energy are as follows: 1.00 (June 96), 2.03 (June 97), 1.42 (December 97), and .90 (December 98). Current liabilities remained constant over this period, ranging from a high of 19% (June 96) to a low of 15% (June 97), with the current level at 16% of total assets. Extreme levels of change in current assets caused the current ratio to fluctuate drastically. Current assets declined from a high of $297 million (31% of total assets) to a current low of $117 million (15% of total assets). This decline in current assets caused the deterioration of the current ratio. The acid test ratios are as follows: .94 (June 96), 2.00 (June 97), 1.37 (December 97), and .81 (December 98). As previously mentioned, current liabilities remained constant. Net accounts receivable remained flat as a percentage of total assets: 9% in 1996, 7% in 1997 (Both June December), and 9% in 1998. Marketable securities were sold off during the past three years, decreasing from 11% ($104 million) of total assets to zero. Cash decreased from 13% ($124 million) of total assets in 1997 (both June December) to 4% in 1998. The combination of severe decreases in both cash and marketable securities are the reasons that the acid test ratio decreased so dramatically. The quick ratios are as follows: .96 (June 96), 2.00 (June 97), 1.38 (December 97), and .86 (December 98). As mentioned previously, current liabilities remained constant and current assets declined. As with the current ratio, the main reason for the deterioration of the quick ratio is the continued loss of current assets. The above ratios and the reasons for their poor trends indicate Chesapeake is currently in a liquidity crisis. This, in combination with the increased debt liabilities, is an extreme warning to both investors and management. This condition also adds to the suspicion that assets are being sold off to fund current debt obligations. The firm†s ability to meet its obligations with cash, as they come due, is approximated by the cash flow liquidity ratio. As previously mentioned, solvency improved and then deteriorated as indicated by the current and quick ratios. The trends are confirmed when looking at cash flow. From 1995 to 1997, Chesapeake†s cash flow liquidity improved from 1.47 to 1.8. 1997 to 1998 showed a large drop in liquidity from 1.8 to 0.95. The company†s financial statement data gives an indication as to why. From 1995 to 1997, short-term solvency improved from 1.47 to 1.8. When looking at the data, cash from operations rose from $55 million in 1995, to $139 million in 1997. The 1997 rise was due to a change in the accounting period. During this same period, cash on hand rose from $56 million to $123 million and marketable securities rose from zero to $13 million. While cash was increasing, current liabilities rose from $75 million to $153 million. Current liabilities doubled during this period, while cash flow increased 150%. The larger increase in cash flow, relative to short-term obligations, accounts for the improvement in solvency during the 1995 to 1997 period. During the 1997 and 1998 periods, liquidity deteriorated as shown by the decrease in the cash flow liquidity ratio from 1.8 to 0.95. The data indicates that cash from operations dropped approximately 32% to $95 million. When looking at the Cash Flow Statement, the large decrease in operating cash is mainly due to the large net loss incurred during the period. At the same time, cash dropped 76% to $30 million while marketable securities fell to zero. Much of the cash appears to have gone to fund the company†s payables and accrued liabilities. Current liabilities were reduced 15% to $131 million. The larger reduction in cash flow relative to current obligations accounts for the deterioration in short-term solvency. The cash flow data confirms that Chesapeake†s liquidity suffered severe deterioration. A reduction in current liabilities is a good sign, but the little amount of cash generated and being used to fund current obligations is not enough. Cash assets are being used to fund these obligations as well. In comparison to the industry debt ratio of .31, Chesapeake ended with a debt ratio of 1.31 in 1998 compared to .71 in 1997. The long-term debt to total capitalization ratio increased from .64 in 1997 to 1.37 in 1998, while the industry average was .44. The tremendous increase in debt was attributable to significantly lower oil and gas prices during the past three years, and a failed drilling venture known as the Louisiana Trend. The company was forced to liquidate assets and take on a substantial amount of debt to meet operational expenses and increase oil and gas field reserves. Chesapeake was added to the Standard Poor†s â€Å"CreditWatch with negative implications† [Yahoo Finance, Nov. 14, 1999] in December of 1998. The low price of fuel during fiscal years 1996 through 1998 was the primary reason for Chesapeake†s troubles. The debt incurred has covenants restricting the company from seeking additional debt and from paying dividends to preferred stock holders. Principal on a large portion of the outstanding debt is not due until 2004 allowing the company time to improve operations. This will also give fuel prices a chance to rise, which is determinant to the company†s survival. The industry average for times interest earned is 5.2, while Chesapeake†s operating profit was ($856) million. The ratio equated to well below zero in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, interest payments were more than $68 million. The financial leverage index could not be computed since there was not a return on equity. Chesapeake overextended their credit by substantially financing with debt and has jeopardized their ability to make obligated payments for their debt and fixed costs. Chesapeake Energy Corporation natural gas† {Chesapeake Annual Report, 1998, p. 1}. Recently, Chesapeake finished the transformation from an aggressive exploration company focused on developing short-reserve life, to a lower-risk, longer reserve life natural gas producer. Chesapeake†s operations are focused on â€Å"developmental drilling and producing property acquisitions.† These operations are â€Å"concentrated in three major areas: the Mid-continent, the onshore Gulf of Mexico and far northeastern British Columbia, Canada† [Chesapeake Annual Report, 1998, p. 1]. Aubrey K. McClendon is Chesapeake†s Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Director. Tom L. Ward is the President, Chief Operating Officer and Director. â€Å"McClendon met cofounder Tom Ward in the 1980†³s. Both were independent oil producers; they teamed up in 1983† [Morgenson, p. 2]. They each have more than 16 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry. All other members of the management team have multiple years of experience in the industry. Chesapeake has concentrated on expanding its holdings in natural gas since the company†s incorporation in 1989. Chesapeake thinks that natural gas will be the fuel choice of the 21st century. The company has been highly competitive in both its exploration activities and efforts to increase its inventory of undeveloped leasehold land. This combination should enable Chesapeake to remain a competitive force in the energy producing industry. New technology in the oil and gas industry has made exploration and production more profitable. This is key for the survival of American businesses that compete with OPEC and other foreign cartels that have very low production costs. New technology, including three-dimensional imaging, which has greater resolution than the previously existing technology, will enable Chesapeake to detect reserves more accurately. Also, horizontal drilling has enabled companies to drain more than one reserve at a time. With profits continuing to be squeezed within this industry, new technology is necessary to help American businesses compete on a global scale. The oil and gas industry is truly a global market. The industry boosted gains in 1999 from increased production efficiency and a decrease in the current supply. U.S. firms, along with OPEC, have voluntarily reduced their total production, which has increased the price. OPEC currently supplies approximately 40% of the world oil production. If OPEC chooses to produce at a lower output, Chesapeake could easily increase production with its low production costs and huge reserves. Many other nations are emerging as competitors, such as the former Soviet Union and Latin American countries. The continuing increase in supply from other nations would potentially saturate the market, causing lower prices and lower profits. Demand is expected to rise only slightly more than two percent through the year 2005. The outlook for this industry is for increased competition domestically (from smaller companies) and internationally from emerging nations. The U.S. has superior technology, which will help keep profits up as supply increases and demand remains relatively constant. Natural gas makes up 72% of Chesapeake†s revenue. They usually sell the product to third parties and are not dependent on any one buyer. Less than 10% of their revenues are generated from two buyers. Governmental Regulations – Operational and Labor Relations The oil and gas industries are subject to considerable government regulation. These laws and regulations are primarily directed toward â€Å"the handling and disposal of drilling and production waste products and waste created by water and air pollution control devices† [Chesapeake 10-K, 1998, p. 10]. The oil and gas industry is accountable to numerous government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, the State Department and the Department of Commerce. Virtually every aspect of operations is subject to complex and ever changing regulations. The oil and gas industry is tightly regulated in regard to labor relations by government department and agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Some states have their own state sponsored occupational safety plans, while the remainder must comply with federal OSHA regulations. Some of the topics covered under OSHA include personal protective equipment, hazardous communication (HAZCOM) and safety process training. Chesapeake had 453 employees as of March 15, 1999. None of these employees were represented by organized labor unions. The company considers its employee relations to be good [Chesapeake 10-K, 1998, p. 13]. Unocal (NYSE: UCL) employed 7,880 people as of December 31, 1998, of which 575 were represented by various U.S. labor unions [Unocal 10-K, 1998, p. 12]. Both companies are subject to new laws and regulations regarding the environment and labor. Chesapeake and Unocal cannot predict what adverse financial conditions the new laws and regulations will bring. However, short-term and long-term costs will increase as companies improve existing operations to become and remain compliant with government regulations. As a result, all companies in petro-chemical industries are experiencing tremendous difficulty operating profitable businesses. Several businesses have ceased operations as a result of increased regulation coupled with poor profit margins. Chesapeake is at a higher risk regarding this scenario since most of its operations are domestic. Unocal, although a U.S. based company, operations are concentrated primarily overseas, and therefore experience increased leniency regarding environmental and labor regulations. During the last two years, Chesapeake Corporation took a significant hit in terms of earnings, stock price and credit ratings. Positive 1996 earnings turned to a loss in 1997 and tumbled to a bigger loss of $10 per share in 1998. This earnings decline caused the stock price and credit rating to plummet. The company also faces a class action lawsuit stemming from alleged violations of federal securities laws. Top management and directors are accused of using insider information to sell personal holdings in the company at artificially inflated prices. Chesapeake had very disappointing years in 1997 and 1998 as evidenced by the fall in the stock price. The company underwent a substantial repositioning to increase natural gas holdings and reduce risk. As a result of this repositioning, Chesapeake incurred considerable debt and is dependent on the market prices of oil and natural gas to increase, and in effect, improve profit margins. Additionally, in 1997, Chesapeake changed their fiscal year end from June 30th to December 31st. As part of the repositioning, Chesapeake increased long term debt over $400 million to a total of $920 million, coupled with a short-term indebtedness of $25 million. This increased borrowing drastically reduced the company†s ability to obtain additional financing. Standard Poor†s and Moody†s placed Chesapeake on review with a negative outlook. The ability to meet obligations for this additional debt will depend on the production and financial performance of the company, market prices of oil and natural gas, and general economic conditions. Common Size Income Statement Analysis Chesapeake had an extremely large write-down of assets (impairment) as a result of reduced oil and gas prices during the past few years. This charge increased operating costs by over $1.2 billion during 1997-98 with 72% of that cost coming in 1998. The asset write-down, combined with expense increases in production, marketing and interest, were the main contributors of total operating costs to be over three times total revenue. The result was 1998 EBIT of ($920) million, and a non-existent ROE, since the company had a net loss approaching $1 billion. Unocal†s ROE was 5.9% in 1998 and 25.1% in 1997. The impairment cost reported by Chesapeake is questionable because of the very large amount that was charged. In perspective, Unocal with over $5 billion in property assets recorded an impairment charge of $97 million during 1998. If oil and gas prices rise in the near future, the impairment costs may be reversed giving the impression that the company is doing very well. Future investors of Chesapeake equities should consider this fact prior to making any investment decisions. Chesapeake had a $140 million reduction to both sides of the balance sheet. The repositioning of the firm focused on increasing inventory of natural gas reserves, â€Å"the fuel of choice for the 21st century† [1998 Annual Report, pg. 18]. Oil and gas properties nearly doubled from 1997 to 1998, totaling $2.2 billion. However, nearly $1.6 billion was depreciated, depleted and amortized. Additionally, cash decreased nearly $100 million, short-term investments were liquidated, and paid-in capital exceeded $1.1 billion over the past two years to provide additional cash for purchases of gas reserves. As a result, total property, plant and equipment was 85% of total assets in 1998 compared to 77% in 1997. In comparison, Unocal†s PPE was 66% and 64% of total assets respectively. Long-term debt increased over $400 million in 1998, totaling $920 million compared to $510 million in 1997. The $920 million was 113% in relation to total liabilities and owners equity of $813 million. In 1998, current liabilities were $131 million compared to current assets of $118 million. This resulted in a reduced current ratio of .90 from a 1997 ratio of 1.42. The Unocal current ratios during 1998 and 1997 were 1.01 and 1.29 respectively. Chesapeake has relied primarily on cash flow through financing activities during the past few years. Cash flow from operations was approximately $95 million in 1998 and $180 million in 1997, while cash flow from financing was $365 million and $278 million respectively. Sales accounted for $378 million in 1998 and appear to be rising approximately 35% annually from 1996 and 1997. However, an accurate comparison is unavailable because of the change in the company†s fiscal year end. Low oil and gas prices forced Chesapeake to borrow, sell equity, and liquidate short-term investments in order to continue operations and invest in oil and gas properties. The company is dependent on the rise of prices during 1999 to continue operations and provide shareholder wealth. The company has several restrictions from being able to borrow additional funds. Additionally, the price of stock has dropped from a high of $34 in 1996 to a low of $.63 in 1998. This has further reduced the company†s ability to generate cash. The current ratios for Chesapeake Energy are as follows: 1.00 (June 96), 2.03 (June 97), 1.42 (December 97), and .90 (December 98). Current liabilities remained constant over this period, ranging from a high of 19% (June 96) to a low of 15% (June 97), with the current level at 16% of total assets. Extreme levels of change in current assets caused the current ratio to fluctuate drastically. Current assets declined from a high of $297 million (31% of total assets) to a current low of $117 million (15% of total assets). This decline in current assets caused the deterioration of the current ratio. The acid test ratios are as follows: .94 (June 96), 2.00 (June 97), 1.37 (December 97), and .81 (December 98). As previously mentioned, current liabilities remained constant. Net accounts receivable remained flat as a percentage of total assets: 9% in 1996, 7% in 1997 (Both June December), and 9% in 1998. Marketable securities were sold off during the past three years, decreasing from 11% ($104 million) of total assets to zero. Cash decreased from 13% ($124 million) of total assets in 1997 (both June December) to 4% in 1998. The combination of severe decreases in both cash and marketable securities are the reasons that the acid test ratio decreased so dramatically. The quick ratios are as follows: .96 (June 96), 2.00 (June 97), 1.38 (December 97), and .86 (December 98). As mentioned previously, current liabilities remained constant and current assets declined. As with the current ratio, the main reason for the deterioration of the quick ratio is the continued loss of current assets. The above ratios and the reasons for their poor trends indicate Chesapeake is currently in a liquidity crisis. This, in combination with the increased debt liabilities, is an extreme warning to both investors and management. This condition also adds to the suspicion that assets are being sold off to fund current debt obligations. The firm†s ability to meet its obligations with cash, as they come due, is approximated by the cash flow liquidity ratio. As previously mentioned, solvency improved and then deteriorated as indicated by the current and quick ratios. The trends are confirmed when looking at cash flow. From 1995 to 1997, Chesapeake†s cash flow liquidity improved from 1.47 to 1.8. 1997 to 1998 showed a large drop in liquidity from 1.8 to 0.95. The company†s financial statement data gives an indication as to why. From 1995 to 1997, short-term solvency improved from 1.47 to 1.8. When looking at the data, cash from operations rose from $55 million in 1995, to $139 million in 1997. The 1997 rise was due to a change in the accounting period. During this same period, cash on hand rose from $56 million to $123 million and marketable securities rose from zero to $13 million. While cash was increasing, current liabilities rose from $75 million to $153 million. Current liabilities doubled during this period, while cash flow increased 150%. The larger increase in cash flow, relative to short-term obligations, accounts for the improvement in solvency during the 1995 to 1997 period. During the 1997 and 1998 periods, liquidity deteriorated as shown by the decrease in the cash flow liquidity ratio from 1.8 to 0.95. The data indicates that cash from operations dropped approximately 32% to $95 million. When looking at the Cash Flow Statement, the large decrease in operating cash is mainly due to the large net loss incurred during the period. At the same time, cash dropped 76% to $30 million while marketable securities fell to zero. Much of the cash appears to have gone to fund the company†s payables and accrued liabilities. Current liabilities were reduced 15% to $131 million. The larger reduction in cash flow relative to current obligations accounts for the deterioration in short-term solvency. The cash flow data confirms that Chesapeake†s liquidity suffered severe deterioration. A reduction in current liabilities is a good sign, but the little amount of cash generated and being used to fund current obligations is not enough. Cash assets are being used to fund these obligations as well. In comparison to the industry debt ratio of .31, Chesapeake ended with a debt ratio of 1.31 in 1998 compared to .71 in 1997. The long-term debt to total capitalization ratio increased from .64 in 1997 to 1.37 in 1998, while the industry average was .44. The tremendous increase in debt was attributable to significantly lower oil and gas prices during the past three years, and a failed drilling venture known as the Louisiana Trend. The company was forced to liquidate assets and take on a substantial amount of debt to meet operational expenses and increase oil and gas field reserves. Chesapeake was added to the Standard Poor†s â€Å"CreditWatch with negative implications† [Yahoo Finance, Nov. 14, 1999] in December of 1998. The low price of fuel during fiscal years 1996 through 1998 was the primary reason for Chesapeake†s troubles. The debt incurred has covenants restricting the company from seeking additional debt and from paying dividends to preferred stock holders. Principal on a large portion of the outstanding debt is not due until 2004 allowing the company time to improve operations. This will also give fuel prices a chance to rise, which is determinant to the company†s survival. The industry average for times interest earned is 5.2, while Chesapeake†s operating profit was ($856) million. The ratio equated to well below zero in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, interest payments were more than $68 million. The financial leverage index could not be computed since there was not a return on equity. Chesapeake overextended their credit by substantially financing with debt and has jeopardized their ability to make obligated payments for their debt and fixed costs.

Los Angeles in the 30's & 40's versus today Essay

Los Angeles in the 30's & 40's versus today - Essay Example Although LAX is currently a world renowned airport, it wasn’t always the center of attention. Prior to its inception, the primary airports for Los Angeles were Burbank and Grand Central Airport in Glendale. It wasn’t until 1946 that they started serving LAX, because it was just too far out of the way. At that time, it was located east of Sepulveda Boulevard, which ended up being rerouted to the west to loop around the new runways that were created in 1950. Nowadays, LAX is considered one of the busiest airports in the world, with nearly 60 million passengers using the airport each year. They also have a dual function as a civil-military base, providing the U. S. Coast Guard an area to launch, operate and repair their HH-65 Dolphin helicopters. (Delta Mike Airfield, 2008). Although the birth of LAX is a notable part of history in L.A., it was only the beginning of many not-so-good firsts for the city. In 1934, Upton Sinclair decided to run for the governor’s seat of California. He was a famous writer and activist, but he was also a socialist who happened to be California’s first celebrity politician. It gave birth to smear politics on a grand scale. Sinclair easily gained the Democratic primary for governor, after which the L. A. Times criticized his â€Å"maggot-like horde† of supporters (Huffington Post, 2008), while others warned that if elected, the state would become communist. This realization ignited an all-out political revolution. With help from Hollywood and the papers, Sinclair’s opposition practically invented the modern media campaign. They made unparalleled use of mail, radio, film, fund raising and opinion polls to create the most astounding smear campaign ever seen. The best was the new ability to manipulate film, using fake newsreels with Hollywood actors to destroy Sinclair’s candidacy. The L.A. Times had attacked Sinclair unmercifully for weeks, which ultimately destroyed his chances. President Roosevelt couldn’t do anything to help him as he was barely into his New Deal and was struggling himself. He couldn’t endorse him, because he would be seen as endorsing socialism, but on the same token, if he didn’t endorse him, others would call him cowardly for not endorsing a candidate of his party. With FDR’s refusal to endorse him, and the fake newsreels hit the big screen, current Governor Merriam won his re-election. This was the precursor to a variety of things that we now have in use across the country. Sinclair is credited with helping with inspiration to many of FDR’s New Deal programs, including Social Security and certainly was the first victim of smear campaigning and dirty politics. Today, when we have any election forthcoming, all of the newspapers, radio stations and television stations carry smear ads, one party against the other to convince us that the skeletons in the other parties’ closets outweigh their own. It’s odd to think that this all started with a well-known author who wanted to run for Governor of California. His muckraking books got the best of him, as while he was for FDR’s New Deal, he also led a movement called EPIC (End Poverty in California), the platform on which he was running for Governor. This also helped to move the Democratic Party further to the left where they continue to be today. Most Californians have at

ENEMA in Relieving Constipation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Evidence base practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Strategic Management - Integrative and Analytical Tools Assignment

Strategic Management - Integrative and Analytical Tools - Assignment Example This is to ensure customers satisfaction is achieved while the profitability of the company remains sustainable throughout its operations. In order to effectively analyze the new markets, several tools and techniques will be employed so get a comprehensive market picture. These tools include the SWOT Analysis and PEST Analysis. A SWOT analysis is a universal tool used for assessing the internal position and capability of a company in relation to the prevailing market environment. SWOT is an acronym for the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing a company. The internal advantages of the company are analyzed and the vulnerable points are analyzed. This can be presented in a matrix form as shown below (Figure 1). The scrutiny of the strengths as well as the weaknesses will focus on the four internal areas of the company including the financials of the company, marketing capability, manufacturing and the organizational structure. The threats and opportunities will however seek to look at the environmental factors such as the markets economic situation, social factors and technological advancements. The value of a SWOT analysis is the ability of the results to determine the value of the company as stated by Neubert (2013). This will therefore assist in maximizing the strengths identified while minimizing the weaknesses to take gain of the opportunities accessible and conquer any looming threats to the business. The major benefits of using SWOT for analysis is the fact that it is simple to use and it requires minimal costs and training. PESTLE Analysis is used solely for analyzing the external factors that might affect a strategic business move. It is an acronym for Political, Economical, Social, Legal and Ecological factors that might affect a strategic move. The analysis of these factors therefore enables a business to formulate the best strategy of approaching global markets

Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 17

Article Example As asserted by Thoreau (para 18), injustice cases are counted-friction to the government machine because when found to have broken a particular law then the person is put in prison for unlimited period determined by the discretion of those who put one in the prison. Thoreau provides us with the story in jail so that we can visualize the poor rule of the state including its accusations for the example Thoreau’s roommate was accused of burning a barn and the tedious trial process (Thoreau para 28-35). Thoreau being in jail made him has various thoughts because he had never expected to be held and to be in custody for one night was like a novel. Thoreau (para 25) proposes that, it is ironical to the state to order Thoreau to pay a certain sum to support a clergyman whose preaching was attended by Thoreau’s father. This is effective in exposing to us the weakness of the state power. The majority view of the government is that most governments carry out its activities at its expediency as contrary to the minority as was the basis of Thoreau justice was democracy (Thoreau para 45). A Chinese philosopher who regarded that individual is the basis of empire is not Lao-Tzu but there is a progress to individual respect and such democracy is yet to be

Managing Culture and Change Essay Example for Free

Managing Culture and Change Essay The present scenario has made the future of organizations uncertain. Companies that are excelling in their relevant industries right now may be pushed out in the near future by upstarts with better ideas and more versatility than them. It has happened so often in the past that the only certainty is that it will keep on happening in the future. The only long term sustainable competitive advantage that organizations can hope to create is through their people, and the behaviour of these people is largely determined by the corporate culture in which they are immersed. A successful corporate culture will see the organization through the near future, but unless the organization is proactive in its bid to keep on adapting to the changing business environment, that same corporate culture may sound the death knell for the organization in the future. CORPORATE CULTURE AND PERFORMANCE The question on every entrepreneur, every CEO, and on every member of the Board of Directors’ mind since before the inception of the concept of an organization as an institution has been: how to make more money? Once this fundamental urge has been recognized one can comprehend the reason behind the actions of the above-mentioned in ensuring the success of their respective organizations, as the evidence of past decades have proved that organizational success is the key determinant of greater financial reward for them; hence stemmed the need to identify the factors that would translate into success for an organization. The idea that an organizations culture would influence its performance is hardly new. ‘Search of Excellence’, published in 1982 and authored by Waterman and Peters made the concept famous, and in 1992 in ‘Corporate Culture and Performance’, Hesket and Kotter compared various organizations and the relation of their performance within a time period with their cultures. But with increasing research being conducted on the correlation between an organizations vision and the employees’ actions, doubt is cast on the efficacy of expecting that an organizations culture will determine its performance. Instead, consensus is being established that a few core values largely determine the success or failure of organizations. SUCCESS Success of an organization can be defined differently depending on the industry in which the organization operates. An organization in a high risk industry can view success as the ability to survive all these years. Another organization may view continuing growth over and above competitors as success, while still another might seek to become the market leader in its particular industry in order for it to be considered a success. Pyramid of Organizational Development Whatever the perception an organization has, in order to be successful an organization needs to follow six steps or tasks at each level of its growth in order for it to succeed at all of those stages. It needs to determine its market niche in which it will operate, develop the product/service accordingly, acquire the relevant resources be they land labour or capital, develops a system of standardized procedures for operations, and then the same for management, and finally, develop a corporate culture that management perceives as being important to lead the firm. Before any further discussion can be carried out, corporate culture must be defined as, a structure of collective values and beliefs that work together with the systems, the organizational structure, and the employees to produce norms, which then turn into what is necessary to the organization, and the processes of getting things done – the how and the why. It is an intangible aspect of an organization that cannot be seen, touched, heard or smelt, but is present nonetheless and which ultimately determines whether that organization will succeed or not. It is the core values that were mentioned earlier, to produce the norms that determine the behaviour of the employees, which ultimately determines the productivity and thus success of the firm. The steps taken together are framed as a hierarchical model into a pyramid of organizational development that emphasizes the importance of each step for the organizations development depending on the stage of growth the organization is in at that point. The last three of the steps form the structure that will be the sustainable competitive advantage of the firm, inimitable by competitors, thus ensuring long term success for the firm. ROLES OF CORPORATE CULTURE Corporate culture by itself plays several roles in the organization. It develops a cultural identity in an employee by establishing a commitment of the employee to achieving the organizations goals and objectives. That identity serves to increase the devotion and involvement of the employee by making him/her reconcile the organizations success as his/her own. Corporate culture also uses a deductive approach to align an employee’s behaviour with acceptable norms that have been already determined by the organization so that it need not worry about policing the employee to do what is right according to the organization. Instead of the management having to interfere now the employee’s peers can bring a maverick back in line with acceptable behaviour as determined by the values of the organization. In addition to these, an organizations culture acts as a motivational tool that is more effective than managerial insistence. However, if the organization’s stated values are out of sync with the culture that is being promoted the employees will become disillusioned with the organization and its stated commitment to quality of work life as the rewards will be based on the stated values as opposed to what the prevailing organizational culture promotes. TYPES OF CORPORATE CULTURE Strong The desired roles that the culture of the organization is to play and reality may starkly differ depending on the type of culture that is prevalent in the organization. A Strong Culture is reminiscent of an organization that spends a significant amount of time and resources in communication and reinforcement by management of the values of the organization to the various employees. This is facilitated by having well-defined vision and mission statements that have been established with the help of both the top and bottom rung of the organization. In addition, these statements and their espoused values are adopted by top management and thus succeed in their task of influencing the employees by convincing them of their commitment to the organization and its value system. Weak On the other hand a Weak Culture is quite the opposite, in its lack of cultural identity and the divergence of employee behaviour and organizational goals. A weak culture also involuntarily imparts an image of punishing those employees that might be working towards organizational success, through the actions of their peers who have this weak corporate value system ingrained into them. Thus there is little allegiance to the organization and little unity inside it. Unhealthy An Unhealthy corporate culture rests on the basis that change is undesirable. In such an environment risk-taking and experimentation for the sake of innovation is frowned upon, and so the organization has to seek ideas outside the firm for better practices and approaches. This is a costly result of the politicized environment that prevails in such an organization, where decisions are made based on the power wielded by the participants and not on the value of their respective input. Adaptive The fourth type of culture in an organization is an Adaptive one which is contrary to the unhealthy culture in its regard for entrepreneurial activities. Such an organization is a proactive entity that actively seeks out innovative and experimental solutions to any issues that might have to be faced. Risk taking is encouraged to the extent that employees might be funded to bring their ideas to life, in the recognition that successful adaption to the environment through risky enterprises enable the organization to prosper over its competitors. CONFLICT IN CORPORATE CULTURE An organizations culture is influenced by the social power of relationships, more specifically, the potential loss of those relationships. This invokes cognitive dissonance in a person more than does any other action, and thus motivates us the most to make sure that such a situation does not arise. From this motivation an organizations culture is developed as a means to protect these relationships, leading to the theory of conflict resolution and culture development. Social influences in the form of formal and informal networks, family networks, relationships with leaders, and legal regulations are what determine the behaviour of a person in an organization with regards to conflict resolution. Although conflict invariably leads to closer bond in relationships than before, it can also lead to rejection or coercion by one or both party. The conflict can only be resolved when both parties either cooperate in or reject the relationship. The eventual conflict resolution results in a differing viewpoint held by the onlookers as either a matter of public discourse or of private thought, which viewpoints are shared with others depending on the closeness of their relationship. And while cooperative conflict resolutions foster greater trust and unity, competitive conflict resolution in hierarchically dominated organizations, where management often passes judgement rather than mediates, results in a chasm between formal and informal cultures that causes a drop in organizational performance. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS Human Resource Management has become an increasingly important function in organizations with the findings of several researches supporting the relation between high-performance and HR practices. The recognition through these researches that the only long term sustainable competitive advantage that an organization enjoys is the capabilities of its human resource has further caused organizations to reinvent this previously neglected function as well as resulted in an increase in the perceived advantages of a strategically-focused Human Resource Department. Amongst these, cultural management is an important benefit that pertains to the development, communication, reinforcement, and change of the corporate culture to the employees. SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE CULTURE An organization’s corporate culture can either hinder or contribute to the success of a firm by influencing the behaviours and attitudes of employees with respect to the overall organizational strategy. A corporate culture that promotes behaviours that are aligned with the company’s values provides guidance to the employees with respect to the accepted norms of the organization and reinforces those peer actions that support the desired culture. The HR as the manager of the corporate culture aligns its own practices in an effort to increase commitment amongst employees towards achieving the desired vision of the organization by reaching their performance targets, and by engaging in adaptive and innovative entrepreneurial activities. A successful corporate culture is one which supports the organizations execution of its strategy, with the help of HR managers, who align the desired values of the organization with the values that are actually prevalent. While some organizations seek to prescribe specific corporate values that will lead to greater performance, it has been discovered that instead it is the fit of these values to the internal and external realities of the organization – the employees’ behaviour and the business environment – that the HR must focus on as a culturally compatible management system. To do so, the practices of the HR Management, more specifically, the staffing, training and development, incentive and payment packages, performance appraisals and job design, all become areas where HR can influence the cultural communication strategy. As a company that dedicated its existence to the production and sale of coffee, Starbucks has experience phenomenal growth to reach its current market leadership position. From generating sales of $122 million in 1993, Starbuck’s has grown to such an extent that its competitors have less outlets in all of the United States than Starbucks has in California. And the stated reason by its CEO, Howard Schultz, for this success is its people. â€Å"The way we treat our people affects the way they treat our customers and, in turn, our financial performance. † In lieu of this statement Starbucks offers good quality of work life to its employees, adopts diversity as an integral part of doing business, maintains a high standard in its production processes, develops its customers, engages in Corporate Social Responsibility, and recognizes the importance of maintaining profitability as a means of continued success. NOT-SO-SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE CULTURE Unfortunately, discovering the right fit of values that an organization can use as a component of its successful corporate strategy can become ‘the winner’s curse’ if left unmonitored, for while it is difficult to change any culture in any organization, changing a seemingly successful culture is next to impossible. No one wants to mess with a winning formula, whether due to superstition, the belief that it will weather any competition, or due to inability to accept that the environment has changed. Whatever the reason, history is replete with examples of how successful companies were brought to their knees by a more versatile competitor. The US automobile industry was indifferent of the lower-costing, higher-quality Japanese cars until it was too late, believing that the Japanese cars were just a momentary novelty. In the same way, until sales started decreasing fast Sears remained ignorant of the changes brought to the organizations environment by Wal-Mart. The McDonnell Douglas Corporation is another example of a company that failed to adapt to the changing environment, and was acquired by Boeing. Core Rigidities Inducting the use of Standard Operating Procedures as a means to increase production by cutting down on wastage of time and resources, while beneficial in producing economies of scale can be harmful to the future success of the firm as well. These procedures and routines can serve as a source of suitable solutions to any problems that might be faced, but in doing so negate the possibility of searching for knowledge and innovation outside the organization. Consequently the core competency of the firm is transformed into the core rigidity as exploration is shelved for exploitation. In addition to which, the feedback from the use of SOPs is ignored due to selective filter of already existing procedures which siphon out any corrective measures that the feedback might have been trying to highlight. This is largely due to the fact that no firm can keep changing forever. There is an absorptive capacity for every organization beyond which it is incapable of adapting to any more change. Crisis The only way to break out of such a potentially hazardous ‘advantage’ is for there to be an existence of a crisis that jolts the organization out of its routine. Some companies even try to introduce the perception of a crisis in the organization in order to stimulate innovation, such as Hewlett Packard, following the story by Sturgeon, ‘Microcosmic God’ in which Sturgeon talks of a miniature world which is introduced to numerous difficulties such as earthquakes, and droughts, and whose inhabitants are forced to either evolve or die out. While such practices might seem unethical it is disputed whether it is more advisable to let a firm fail because the leader of the organization could not bring it upon himself/herself to fool the employees for their future benefit. CONCLUSION If an organization’s successful culture eventually ends up costing the organization in the future, can it really be deemed a ‘successful’ corporate culture? Up to the limit of an organization’s absorptive capacity, a successful corporate culture should be redefined as a culture that while maintains all the characteristics as mentioned previously, is also a culture that can recognize that no matter what the fit of the organization’s culture is at present, that fit can change, and the possibility of that change should not be ignored, rather it should be actively sought out. And while it is a difficult thing to change a culture at any point, the organization should be ready to do so if it is to maintain its competitive advantage and not be replaced by a more nimble and recent competitor like Sears was by Wal-Mart. BIBLIOGRAPHY Cummings, T. G. Worley, C. G. (2005) Organization Development and Change. USA. Thomson South-Western. Davenport, T. H. Prusak, L. (2000) Working Knowledge. Harvard Business Press Hassard, J. Pym, D.(1993) The Theory and Philosophy of Organizations. Routledge Hitt, M. A. , Hoskisson, R. E. Ireland, R. D. (1998) Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization. Cengage Learning Kono, T. Clegg, S. (1998) Transformations of Corporate Culture. Walter de Gruyter Kotter, J. (1992) Corporate Culture and Performance. Free Press. Thompson, A. A. Jr. , Strickland III, A. J. Gamble, J. E. (2006) Crafting and Executing Strategy. United States. McGraw-Hill Balkaran, L. (1995) Corporate Culture. Find Articles [Internet]. Available from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m4153/is_/ai_17365781 [December 19, 2008] Denison, D. How your corporate culture can impact your business performance. IMD Webletter [Internet]. Available from http://www01. imd. ch/webletter/pdf/LinkingCorporateCulture. pdf [December 19, 2008] Flamholtz, E. Hua, W. (2002) Strategic Organizational Development and the Bottom

Sex and Gender Identity: Intersex Child

Sex and Gender Identity: Intersex Child Discuss why the birth of an intersex baby is treated as a medical emergency and the implications of surgical sex assignment (personally and socially) This essay will discuss why the birth of an intersex infant is considered a medical emergency, what especially determines the intersex conditions whilst shedding light on the reasons as to why surgeons deem this procedure necessary to the infant. As well as the repercussions, the surgical sex assignment will have on the child personally and socially in the future. The impact other children can have on an intersex infant and the impacts associated on the parents having to deal with this medical emergency and the struggles associated with their sex and gender identity as they go through life. Physical features in which determine the sex of an individual person are the internal and external sex organs, the karyotype, gonads and the secondary sexual characteristics these appear at puberty. Whereas Intersex conditions occur when there has been an obstruction in the normal process in which sexual maturation is formed, therefore results in abnormalities in any of these features. (Creighton, 2001). Medical professionals are guarantying that surgery to adjust ambiguous genitalia is a treatment planned to re-establish a fitting appearance and function to the infant. (Holmes, 2002). In Australasia, North America and the United Kingdom it is now seen as standard medical practice to surgically and hormonally correct intersexed infants. The practice of this has been continuously justified solely on the basis that the birth of an ambiguously sexed child represents a psycho-social emergency which is when the intersex infants reassignment should be addressed through surgical means as so on as possible. During the late 1990s it saw a swift increase in interest concerning the medical treatment of intersex infants and children from medical practitioners, ethicists and even intersex people themselves. An impasse has come to light regarding the questions being asked about intersex medical treatments by clinicians and intersex activists. As clinicians are professionally bound to take and look after the well-being of their patients, the research in which they are relying on is to argue for early surgical assignment. Physicians believe intersex infants are to have surgery as soon as possible. It is believed there are in fact three categories of distinguishable genital surgery: Firstly, that the surgery is going to be lifesaving. For example, the urethra has been rerouted so that the infant is now able to pass urine out of their body. Secondly, it improves their quality of life. For example, they completely redesign the urethra opening to help the child not urinate on a toi let seat. Thirdly, aesthetic purposes. For example, the small penis is built up so that eventually when the man is older he will feel more manly. (Roen, 2004). Surgery is meant for effecting the sense of gender and sexual identity for the child, and to support him/her from a likely hostile and ignorant world. (Holmes, 2002). Within Western culture, it is significantly committed to the idea that there are only two sexes. People can go years without knowing of their intersex surgery, but for the ones who do know or have not had surgery to give them a gender identity, it can be difficult socially, especially as a youth. Teasing is not an uncommon occurrence in this society. One alarming factor that has been noted by teachers and parents that it is not the intersex childs behaviour, but the way in which other children are reacting to it. Even if the child is normally seen as socially acceptable once his/her peers are to find out that they are in fact intersex, that is when their opinions can change, as intersex individuals are not seen as socially acceptable. This brings up Gender Identity Disorder and that teasing is seen as a justifiable reason to require treatment for this. Teasing and name calling can have a huge impact on a childs wellbeing, regardless of being intersex or not. It can lead to depression , social anxiety and if the teasing got too much for the child they could then decide they did not want to go to school anymore. Prejudice over intersex children plays a role in how they are going to be treated. If a child has not had surgery and is still figuring out their identity it can be had for people, let alone other children to understand. Whereas, if a child has already been gendered from a surgery at birth, it can be easier for the child to identify themselves therefore, not have the repercussions from other children who may not understand the situation. (Fausto-Sterling, 2004). As well as issues with their parents and other children, another social impact on an intersex child can be the trauma associated with being intersex. In large part, the shame that seems to appear with being intersex. This comes back to having the surgery, as that a child is less likely to be singled out and teased if they have had a the surgery and their peers are unable to know of their difference s if they have identified with a gender, which has been given with the surgery. This will then decrease their chances of life long trauma and the possible mental effects on them which can then be linked to depression, anxiety, bipolar etc. (Feder, 2014). When looking at an intersex persons life, there can be many factors to affect them personally. One of these is the effect on their parents. A person can only attempt to imagine the struggle a parent would go through regarding the decisions they would have to make for their baby. Whatever decisions the parents have made, for example: deciding to go through with surgery, which gender they choose to influence their child as if they do not go through with the surgery, what their beliefs are etc., This definitely has a huge impact on their childs life. (Fausto-Sterling, 2004). It is seen that medical professionals are trying to assure anxious parents that having the surgery will then let intersexed children to see themselves as a single sexed person and gendered person. Although, what comes of this is two clear problems that will have an effect on the child. Firstly, it willingly assumes that a person who has not been through the intersex surgery would not have a clear identity, when in f act this would not be the case. Yet no practitioners have any evidence to fully support this assumption. Secondly, it suggests that a typical man or women feel completely at ease and happy in their bodies and their gender identities, and do not have any issues regarding their body image and relationship of identity to their appearance. Yet in fact there are many crises that affect men and women regarding their sex/gender. Individuals may have troubles in their self-image such as problems with how much body hair they have, they may have too much to be properly feminine. Or not enough hair to be properly masculine. Yet surgeries to change the appearance of ones sex, are now offered to parents as guarantees that their intersex infant will grow up to be a full male or female. (Holmes, 2002). This then looks at the issue that if an infant is placed under a certain gender but as they grow older are to feel more like the opposite, what kind of impacts can be associated with this? As well a s mental impacts, there can also be resentment towards the people in which made this life altering decision for this person, for example their parents, the surgeon. It can also have a huge impact on their wellbeing and how they are feeling about themselves as a person. It can bring up a lot of questions and feelings of doubt within themselves. Having the surgery right from birth can have a lot of negative impacts on the person personally. (Holmes, 2002). To conclude, this essay has covered a wide range of topics regarding intersex infants and whether or not the surgery is worthwhile to them and the effect it can have on them personally and socially. As well as the people they may associate with in day to do life, their parents, their peers and what kind of impacts and influences they can have on this persons life.ÂÂ   How does having the surgery effect their sexuality and gender identity. These are all factors that can have huge influences on an intersex persons life that can shape them into the person they will eventually grow into in the future. If people became more open to accepting an intersex person, they may learn a thing or too. References: Creighton, S., 2001. Surgery for intersex. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 94(5), pp.218-220. Fausto-Sterling, A., 2004. The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female are Not Enough, in Michael Kimmel and Rebecca Plante (eds) Sexualities: Identities, Behaviours and Society, pp. 39-44. New York: Oxford University Press. Holmes, M., 2002. Rethinking the Meaning and Management of Intersexuality, Sexualities, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 159-180. Roen, K., 2004. Queerly Sexed Bodies in Clinical Contexts: Problematizing Conceptual Foundations of Genital Surgery with Intersex Infants Feder, E.K., 2014. Making sense of intersex: Changing ethical perspectives in biomedicine. Indiana University Press, pp 48

Faith Vs. Temptation :: essays research papers

Faith vs. Temptation Temptation, at one time or another, has touched all of our lives. What made us choose one path over the other? Was it your faith in God, your knowing of what was right and wrong, or was it the influences of the loved ones you not only surround yourself with, but the one you have trusted to lead down the straight and narrow. All of these questions come to light in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown. Hawthorne’s tale is of a young, newly wedded man, and his internal struggle between faith and temptation. Set in Salem, at the times of the witch trials, Young Goodman Brown begins to question his own faith as the devil himself sheds new light on Brown’s strong beliefs. “With heaven above, and Faith below, I will yet stand firm against the Devil!';… Or will he? Young Goodman Brown prepares to leave on his lonely, life-changing journey, by first saying good bye to his wife of three months. Faith as his wife is called, for symbolic reasons I’m sure, fears for her husband and wishes him to stay. This good bye is Brown’s chance to choose faith over temptation. “Poor little faith, thought he, for his heart smote him. What a wretch am I to leave her on such an errand!'; Brown gives in to temptation. This won’t be the last time. Being scared and alone on his journey, Brown talking to himself says, “What if the devil himself should be at my elbow!'; A few more steps and Brown now has a companion; coincidence? I think not. “The only thing about him that could be fixed upon as remarkable as his staff, which bore the likeliness of a great black snake...like a living serpent."'; It was after this initial greeting and Brown noticing his companion’s walking stick that Brown once again was torn between his faith and the temptation of the errand he was on. Goodman Brown tries to convince himself he is doing wrong and turn back. “Having kept covenant by meeting thee here, it is my purpose now to return whence I came. I have scruples touching the matter thou wot’st of.'; The devil tempts Brown in to continuing. “Let us walk on, reasoning as we go; and if I convince thee not thou shalt turn back.'; Again Brown gives in to temptation. “Too far! Too far! Exclaimed the goodman, unconsciously resuming his walk.

State Laws :: essays research papers

Most legal disputes involving state law are initially decided in the trial courts or by an administrative agency. But after such a decision, an individual may turn to the state’s appeal courts if he or she believes a legal error occurred that harmed the case. In fact, thousands of cases are appealed every year.(1) They include criminal convictions as well as civil cases involving personal injury, contracts, employment, real estate, probate, divorce, child custody and many other issues. Whenever an appellate court reverses a trial court decision, it almost always allows that court to rehear the case using the correct law and procedures. In the vast majority of cases, the decision of a Court of Appeal is final. The state Supreme Court does not review the vast majority of cases – it steps in to resolve new or disputed questions of law as well, as to review death penalty cases. Death penalty cases proceed directly to the Supreme Court, bypassing the lower Court of Appeal. The appellate courts of California consist of the Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeal. The judges who serve on these courts are called appellate justices. There are seven justices on the Supreme Court and 93 justices on the Courts of Appeal. The Courts of Appeal are divided into six geographical districts and hear cases arising within the district. Proceedings in appellate courts are very different from those in trial courts. In trial courts a judge or jury hears the testimony of witnesses and reviews physical evidence, exhibits and documents before deciding a case. Appellate courts do not decide an appeal by taking new evidence or reassessing the credibility of the witnesses who testified in the trial court. Instead, they review the written record to determine if the trial court properly interpreted the law and used the correct procedures when considering the case. The opposing parties submit written documents, called briefs, to assert their position. The parties also participate in oral arguments before the appeal court justices. To ensure that the cases are examined from several perspectives and receive a thorough analysis, each Court of Appeal case is decided by three appeal court justices. All seven justices decide the Supreme Court cases. In both cases, a majority of justices must agree on a decision. All justices are bound to apply the law whether they agree with that law or personally disagree with it.

International Eugenics Essay -- Sociology

Throughout the history of international relations, the study of human diversity has held a key role in establishing the political principles and recognized shared culture that defines nationhood. Nations have traditionally been associated with a specific geographic location and political ideology, but they also have ethnical identifiers associated with this shared culture. These ethnical identifiers were thrust onto the world stage during the end of the nineteenth century with the introduction of the study of eugenics. The purpose of this study is to examine the historiography of the eugenics movement as it occurred globally, providing a comparative survey of programs, legislation and ideologies in multiple nation settings. In order to provide a global comparative study of international eugenic programs and ideologies, several disciplines will be followed, focusing on four major terms used to delineate eugenics, â€Å"population, quality, territory, and nation.† Although eugenics has been seriously examined by historians since the 1960’s, international comparisons are a recent addition to the field of research, emerging near the end of the twentieth century. Even as these comparative studies become more popular, the majority of this research focuses on eugenics in Britain, Germany, and the United States. For these reasons, this study will attempt to highlight the movement outside of the Western world only drawing on their historiography as precedents throughout the global community. In 1963, Mark H. Haller published Eugenics: Hereditarian Attitudes in American Thought. As the first major history of American eugenics, Haller encapsulated the movement and only hinted at the biological doctrines of the Nazi’s and Soviet Union. Haller... ...155. Stepan, Nancy. The Hour of Eugenics: Race, Gender, and Nation in Latin America. (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1991), 4. Broberg, Gunnar, and Nils Roll-Hansen. Eugenics and the Welfare State: Sterilization Policy in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. (East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1996), 2. Dikà ¶tter, Frank. Imperfect Conceptions: Medical Knowledge, Birth Defects, and Eugenics in China. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998), 2. Cleminson, Richard. Anarchism, Science, and Sex: Eugenics in Eastern Spain, 1900-1937. (Oxford: New York: P. Lang, 2000), 11. Chung, Yuehtsen Juliette. Struggle for National Survival: Eugenics in Sino-Japanese Contexts, 1896-1945. (New York: Routledge, 2002), 145. Bucur, Maria. Eugenics and Modernization in Interwar Romania. (Pittsburgh, Pa.: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2002), 5.

A comparison of “Deirdre” and “On Baile’s Strand” by William Butler Yeats Essay

Deirdre and On Baile’s Strand are two plays by William Butler Yeats that incorporate a tragic vision. Both plays deal with a single tragic moment in the life of an important figure. The plays are similar in structure and style. Yeats interweaves supernatural elements in both plays — the Shape Changers in On Baile’s Strand and the circumstances of Deirdre’s birth and the question of her parentage in Deirdre. The endings of the plays are similar, however, the process of coming to a conclusion in the plays is different. In both of these plays, Yeats gives readers the back ground, information about the characters, and sets the scene at the beginning. In On Baile’s Strand Yeats uses two characters, the Fool and the Blind Man, whose purpose in the play was to describe the situation and the characters involved. In Deirdre Yeats uses a group of three female musicians to set the scenes and give information about the characters. Even with this similarity, however, there is a difference. In On Baile’s Strand the Fool and the Blind man are not directly involved in the action of the play. The exception is at the end of the play when through them, Cuchulain learns that he has killed his only son. The Fool and the Blind Man speak prose while the musicians in Deirdre sing. The three female musicians in Deirdre, however, are spoken to and answer the main characters in the play. In both instances, the Fool and the Blind Man, and the three female musicians have knowledge that the other characters do not. The settings of the plays reflect the main characters. In Deirdre, a tragedy with a female main character, the setting is feminine and action takes place in a guest-house in sereneness of the woods. On Baile’s Strand, a tragedy with a male main character, the setting is masculine and the action takes place in an assembly- house near a harsh sea. No only is On Baile’s Strand masculine in the sense that it takes place near a harsh sea, it is also without fully human women. The one fully human woman, Aoife, that is mentioned in the play, is seen as an evil influence. Conchubar tells Cuchulain: That very woman — For I know well that your are praising Aoife — Now hates you and will leave no subtlety Unknotted that might run into a noose About your throat †¦ (28) However, Cuchulain remembers her as being of â€Å"stone-pale cheek and red-brown hair† and stated that None other had all beauty, queen or lover, Or was so fitted to give birth to kings. (28) With Cuchulain’s vivid descriptions of her, Aoife, although she is not seen in the play, is able to be seen as clearly as the other characters. In both of the plays, the most dramatic part revolves around two things: death and the unknown. In Deirdre, Deirdre pleads with Conchubar to spare her and Naoise’s lives. She is unaware that Naoise is already dead. She did not see Conchubar motion to the â€Å"dark-faced men† who gag Naoise and pull him out of view. Deirdre  pleads with Conchubar, telling him that he will need Naoise some day, but Conchubar only laughs. Deirdre tells him: You will cry out for him someday and say, â€Å"If Naoise were but living† — [she misses Naoise]. Where is he? Where have you sent him? Where is the son of Usna? Where is he, O where is he? (69) This is the most tragic part of the play. Even more tragic than the deaths of Deirdre and Naoise because everyone except Deirdre knows that her pleading is futile. The most dramatic scene in On Baile’s Stand comes after Cuchulain kills the Young Man, not knowing that he is his son. The Blind Man tells Cuchulain that he knows the Young Man’s mother: BLIND MAN: I knew him and his mother there. CUCHULAIN: He was about to speak of her when he died. BLIND MAN: He was a queens son. CUCHULAIN: What queen? what queen? [Seizes Blind Man who  is now sitting upon the bench] Was it Scathach? There were many queens. All the rulers there were  queens. And further into the conversation the Fool tells Cuchulain that the Blind Man said â€Å"the young man was Aoife’s son† and that he had also heard Aoife say that she has had only one lover, and he was the  only one who had defeated her in battle. The Blind Man is the one to say â€Å"it is his own son he has slain.† Another important element found in the play is the idea of treachery or betrayal of trust. In both Deirdre and On Baile’s Strand, treachery results in death. In Deirdre Fergus trusts Conchubar and is betrayed by him; and he betrays others in the play by not divulging knowledge he has. Naoise trusts Fergus, and to some extent Conchubar, and is betrayed. Deirdre trusts Naoise and becomes a victim with him after he is killed. Deirdre betrays Conchubar twice. First when she runs away with Naoise and hides for seven years, and again before taking her own life. Conchubar betrays both Deirdre and Naoise in order the win Deirdre and punish Naoise for stealing her from him and, in turn, this is when he is betrayed by Deirdre and Naoise. Early in the play, after Naoise realized that Conchubar has not sent a messenger to meet with them, Fergus tells Deirdre and Naoise that Conchubar will arrive in person. Naoise responds that â€Å"he cannot break his faith† and â€Å"I have his word and I must take that word.† After seeing a chess-board and remembering the tale of Lugaidh Redstripe and his wife, who both died after being betrayed Naoise speaks: If I had not King Conchubar’s word I’d think That chess-board ominous. (53) Fergus recalls the tall of Lugaidh Redstripe as â€Å"the tale of treachery, A broken promise† that is best forgotten. In On Baile’s Strand, Cuchulain is betrayed by the oath he made to Conchubar when Conchubar calls him on it after the Young Man’s arrival. When Cuchulain refuses to fight the Young Man, Conchubar tells him that â€Å"witchcraft has maddened you.† Cuchulain realizes he had been betrayed after he kills his son. He runs out  to the sea to fight the harsh waves, which he sees as an image of Conchubar. Deirdre and On Baile’s Strand are two plays whose outcome is based on the tragedy upholding honor. Cuchulain’s honor of Conchubar in On Baile’s Strand, and Deirdre’s honor of Naoise and Naoise’s honor of Conchubar in Deirdre. The possession of knowledge the reader has about the events of the play heighten the tragic effects found in both Deirdre and On Baile’s Strand.

The Education And Development In Uae Education Essay

After the constitution of the federation in United Arab Emirates, the Starting of the quality instruction has begun. In UAE till the university degree public instruction is free for male and females of United Arab Emirates. Education system of UAE comprises of in-between schools, primary schools and high schools. In United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) primary school registration for males campaigners in 2005 stood at 85 % and 81 % of females about in Unites provinces of Emirates. In secondary school of UAE stayed less at 62 % for males and 66 % for females. In the twelvemonth of 2003, ages of 15 to 24 males reached at 98 per centum literacy and 96 per centum for females this record is submitted in ‘CIA World Factbook ‘ of UAE. Literacy rate of United Arab Emirates in 1989 was 53 % which is improved exponentially during the period of 2000-2007 and right now 90 % people of UAE peoples are literate it means they can read and compose easy. The state of affairs of private schools of UAE is better than authorities schools and in the large metropoliss like Dubai and Abu Dhabi there are about 50 % of pupils in private school of UAE. Harmonizing to World Bank study which is published in 2010, 16.83 was the student-teacher ratio ( pupil-teacher ratio ) of UAE. ( Gyimah, 2011 ) Earlier in 1960 before the find of oil, United Arab Emirates was a hapless state and its instruction system is worst every bit good. Harmonizing to surveies there were merely 15-20 schools in Dubai metropolis and Abu Dhabi had a same status. Those pupils who want to takes higher instruction they have to travel abroad chiefly to U.S. and England. Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum dedicated his life to the development of national instruction system and provided the indispensable foundation for the modernisation of Dubai. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan introduced CERT ( Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training ) in 1999 which supplying a different instruction system plan for all nationalities of UAE. In 2003 Education Ministry of United Arab Emirates followed â€Å" Education 2020 † which is a series of 5 twelvemonth programs introduced to improved advanced accomplishments of pupils, instruction techniques and self-learning qualities of pupils and besides intr oduced new enhanced course of study for math and scientific discipline for 1st grade degree in all authorities schools of UAE. Nowadays Education system of UAE besides includes foreign linguistic communication such as English, So that pupils of Emirates able to hold on the international linguistic communication. Right now there are many universities like Higher Colleges of Technology, American Universities of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates University that are supplying wellness scientific discipline, technology, information engineering and concern around the state. EIBFS was established for fiscal and banking surveies in 1983. ( Kitaura, 2010 )Research QuestionThe chief purpose of this surveies or research is to analyze the educational public presentation of UAE and improves quality acquisition, pupil registration in schools and finally betterment in economic growing of UAE.What are the most cost-efficient policies to better school registration?Efficiency and effectivity are the two perceptive to analyze effectivity and efficiency of school registration. Efficiency has two parts internal and external. If schools are accomplishing their ends without blowing their valuable resources so it is known as internal efficiency. External efficiency analyzes Educational returns. So fundamentally in the betterment of economic growing betterment of labour productiveness is of import. Other cost-efficient policy is effectiveness which is all depends on the ‘cognitive accomplishments ‘ of pupil and have analyze utilizing traditional trial based system. Cost-efficient policies will assist the instruction system by supplying the much better instruction installations with much lower cost.What is the political feasibleness of cost-efficient instruction policies?By utilizing cost effectual policies both effect and their cost taken into consideration in systematic manner.Political feasibleness is a judgement of the political environment around certain policy & A ; plays an of import function in the cost effectiveness instruction policies. Political feasibleness is related to be effectivity and efficiency so, to understand the political feasibleness 1st we need to place policy environment such as wellness policy or environment policy etc. ( SCHOELLMAN, 2011 )Literature ReviewEntree to SchoolingSchool registration is fundamentally depends on cost-efficient policies as mainstream economic attack provide good economic growing quality attack. Education system of UAE comprises of in-between schools, primary schools and high schools. In United Arab Emirates ( UAE ) primary school registration for males campaigners in 2005 stood at 85 % and 81 % of females. In secondary school of UAE stayed less at 62 % for males and 66 % for females. In the twelvemonth of 2003, ages of 15 to 24 males reached at 98 % literacy and 96 % for females this record is submitted in ‘CIA World Factbook ‘ of UAE. ( BALCIUNAITIENE, 2010 ) Many schools in UAE have school coach for transit. Direct and indirect are two cost-associated with school. Fees, conveyance cost, books, uniforms are the portion of direct cost while reeducation in household income comprise of indirect cost. Family gifts and public services are the two things in which school registration depends. ( Anctil, 2012 )Educational resultMany states believing that there is no any relationship in between trial mark and school input. But in recent old ages this determination has been capable to greater rummage. In both developed & A ; developing states the strong impact of pupil trial plays an of import function in instruction result. Reeducation in category size, educated instructors, good teacher leads to an betterment in instruction outcome in conclusion most research finds a positive impact on educational accomplishments.The impact of inputs on labour productivenessThe schools which have good resources produce good alumnus pupil as comparison to the other schools so that there is relationship in between quality & A ; cost of school instruction. But in 1995 Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan finds that there is no any effectual difference between in labour productiveness of United Arab Emirates. But still no any proof appears associating the impact of inputs on labour productiveness. From one more research they analyze labour productiveness and cognitive accomplishments & A ; they find that gaining quality of more cognitive accomplishments pupils have better than other pupils.Methodological IssuesBy and large, researches suffer from many methodological jobs. Some of the major jobs are follows:Biasness due to skip of variables: It is non easy to include the variable like background of parents, kids innate ability, political degree variables and so many other variables as they create biasness in the computation of mensural consequence. The effects of biasness straight affect the trial tonss of study. Besides if excluded variables are correlated with included variables incompatibility and biasness will bring forth once more in computation. For illustration Children with rich parents attend school with much better inputs than the kids with un affluent parents. Besides economic conditions have important consequence kids instruction. Biasness during error measuring: In the measuring of explanatory variables normally biasness and incompatibility in the appraisal can be observed. In most of the researches sufficient sum of measurement mistakes can be seen particularly in the computation of cognitive accomplishments and old ages of schooling. Specification of the dependent variables: Trial tonss are normally y used in the trial signifier in most of the surveies. These are ever criticized because of cumulative character of cognition. Biasness may lift during rating of the pupils if this cumulative nature of cognition is ignored. Sample Choice: In a developed state like UAE about every kid attends school. Their dropout rates are besides really rare. Therefore to choose the sample for the analysis schools with different parts must be focused so that broad scope of sample can be collected. During the aggregation of informations different mistakes during roll uping informations must be taken earnestly. Must be Data can be gathered by direct observations, studies, interviews, questionnaire and many other methods. During aggregation of informations many mistakes can be come into the manner such as biasness, non-response mistake, mistakes in informations acquisition and so on.Proposed Research MethodologyBasic Idea beyond this research proposal is to utilize conventional methodological analysiss which are based on econometric theoretical accounts and to work out the jobs which are described above. Second of import thought to utilize this research proposal is to measure the bing policies of school and supply better cost effectual policies and methods to better the instruction degree in UAE. This research will bring forth an econometric theoretical account which will assist in find the factor which decides the school registration by sing both supply-side factors and family capablenesss. In computation of school efficiency econometric theoretical account can be used to develop a educational production map for the instruction system of UAE. For the account of trial tonss of the pupil assorted maps will be included in the merchandise map to analyse the household background, unconditioned abilities and sample choice in add-on with a value added attack will be used. To analyse the consequence of the plan on the consequence of trial mark explanatory variable must be incorporated with trial tonss. Political feasibleness of these policies will be step with the better cost-efficient qualitative and measures approach will be used. The basic thought beyond this procedure is to measure assorted place occupied by societal elements and interest holders who are the parts of the instruc tion procedure. Qualitative technique will concentrate on group interviews and life interviews.DatasEducation finding mapA study will be conducted to build this map in two different period of clip. Standardized trial will be conducted to measure the pupils besides household and school features are besides assessed in these trials. Motive behind these trials is to garner the informations to measure the instruction system.Schooling Production theoretical accountIn these theoretical accounts enrolment in the school will be analyzed with the aid of studies related to life criterions measurings. This information will be gathered with the information related to education organize the UAE authorities to integrate the supply side information.Scientific ContributionThis consequence hopes to give two of import parts to the instruction system of UAE. One advanced theoretical attack will be developed to wholly understand the instruction system in UAE. Besides, one conventional will be developed based on willingness to pay the fees for instruction and the maximization of public-service corporation standards. These attacks will be wholly based on the theoretical part of assorted researches. Theoretical parts will wholly stress on the public action and capablenesss of families in the providing of instruction. This research will besides assist in design adequate instruments which will be a great part to the methodological development. And betterment in methodological issues will be good in the better appraisal in the jobs of convention econometric theoretical accounts. Experimental rating methods will be used as mention for these findings. Overall this research will be a great part towards the determination of the most cost effectual methods and policies for the improvement of the instruction outcomes. End product of this research will assist the UAE Government to plan policies related to the instruction which will be more cost-effective and effectual.